Lena Lunsford was taken into custody by authorities in Pinellas County, Fla., where she is awaiting extradition on a charge of death of a child by a parent by child abuse, Lewis County, WV, Sheriff Adam Gissy told The Exponent Telegram.

Lena Lunsford was taken into custody by authorities in Pinellas County, Fla., where she is awaiting extradition on a charge of death of a child by a parent by child abuse, Lewis County, WV, Sheriff Adam Gissy told The Exponent Telegram.

If the flood of prescription painkillers in West Virginia fueled the state’s opioid crisis, new prescribing guidelines being taught to medical students, future pharmacists and nurses are seen as critical to stemming the tide. Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines to ensure patients have access to safer, more effective pain treatments while reducing the risk of opioid abuse.

If the flood of prescription painkillers in West Virginia fueled the state’s opioid crisis, new prescribing guidelines being taught to medical students, future pharmacists and nurses are seen as critical to stemming the tide. Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines to ensure patients have access to safer, more effective pain treatments while reducing the risk of opioid abuse.

Five years into her sobriety, Elly Donahue is more than willing to give credit where it’s due. “Drug court was my first step to recovery,” said Donahue, who graduated from drug court in 2013. “It’s what pushed me in that direction. I’d been in and out of rehab numerous times before, but drug court makes you accountable and responsible for your actions. It’s what I needed.”

Five years into her sobriety, Elly Donahue is more than willing to give credit where it’s due. “Drug court was my first step to recovery,” said Donahue, who graduated from drug court in 2013. “It’s what pushed me in that direction. I’d been in and out of rehab numerous times before, but drug court makes you accountable and responsible for your actions. It’s what I needed.”

A Petersburg, WV pharmacy and several of its employees have paid $2 million to end a federal investigation into its operation.

United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld II said Judy's Drug Store Inc., and employees Darin Judy, Emily Judy, Kimberly Arbaugh and Casey Watts paid $2 million to the government to settle accusations the store had repeatedly filled prescriptions for controlled substances, such as oxycodone and hydromorphone, that were not written for legitimate medical purposes.

Judy's Drug Store is privately owned. Darin Judy is manager, and Emily Judy is president and works as a pharmacist. Arbaugh and Watts also are pharmacists.

Ihlenfeld said filling suspect prescriptions is outside the scope of professional practice.

“This is another important step in our efforts to prevent prescription painkillers from being diverted and used for improper purposes,” he said. “We used both our criminal and civil authority to accomplish our mission in this case, and we would have sought criminal charges against one of the pharmacists involved had he not passed away.”

The federal investigation into Judy’s Drug Store arose after the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted and obtained a conviction against a Hardy County physician, Dr. Rajan Masih, in 2011. Masih, convicted of distributing controlled substances for other than legitimate medical purposes and outside the scope of professional practice, wrote many of the prescriptions for controlled substances improperly filled by Judy’s Drug Store.

“Today’s settlement serves as a warning to those who are driven by greed that distracts them from their responsibilities to the very communities in which they live and work," said Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington, D.C. Field Division. "The citizens of Grant County should be able to walk their streets and go about daily activities with their families without fear or exposure to drug related activity resulting from suspect dispensing of controlled substance pharmaceuticals."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan G. McGonigal handled the case in coordination with the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.